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For every treatment 10-year-old Aidan Sheets goes through in her battle against brain cancer, she gets a bravery bead.

"Every time something happens, I get blood or there is a holiday or I meet a new doctor, I get another bead," said Sheets on Monday. "I get one for tests, I got one for a first day back at school, I got one from my surgery and a whole bunch of needle pokes."

Despite being diagnosed with Medulloblastoma less than one year ago, Sheets has already collected 218 beads.

"It means that I've been through a lot," said Sheets, with her mother Shelley Sheets standing by her side struggling to hold back tears.

The Beaded Journey Program, offered to all patients who are part of the Stollery Children's Hospital Child Life Department, tells the story of each child's health journey one bead at a time.

"It's a symbol of their journey. It speaks of their family and themselves of what they've truly gone through in the years that they've battled cancer," said Tera Graham, director of development for the Kids with Cancer Society, adding she has seen children with bead chains that stretch over six metres long.

"It's just her story, from beginning to the end eventually," said Shelley Sheets.

And now through the Be Brave Campaign, those who donate blood to Canadian Blood Services will have the option to attach a small message of hope to a bead that will be given to a pediatric oncology patient to add to their chain when they receive blood as part of their treatment.

"They don't know where their donation always goes, so this is an opportunity for our donors to make a direct connection with that childhood cancer patient," said Keri Cable, territory manager for Canadian Blood Services in Edmonton.

Cable said the campaign not only provides a direct connection between those who donate blood and those who need it to survive, but also helps raise awareness of the need for blood donations.

"The need for blood is always constant," said Cable, adding through the campaign Canadian Blood Services hopes to attract at least 520 new blood donors.

Waseem Elmais, who has been a regular blood donor since September, was inspired to do so after his younger brother underwent an 11-hour surgery to treat a type of pediatric cancer.

"It took more than 20 bags of blood, that means there were 20 different people who helped save my brother's life," said Elmais.

Beyond donating his own blood, Elmais wants to encourage others to roll up their sleeves as an active way to help save lives.

Blood Facts:

- Canadian Blood Services needs around 100,000 new donors to keep up with demand;

- A single-car crash victim can need up to 50 units of blood to save their life;

- Someone battling leukemia can need up to eight units of blood a week;

- Canadian Blood Services has a need for type O Negative blood, which can be transfused to patients of almost any blood type;

- Through the Be Brave campaign, Canadian Blood Services hopes to collect 4,696 units of blood and find 520 new blood donors.